Beat the Devil (1954)

Desperate Characters

By Jeffrey M. Anderson

Truman Capote wrote the screenplay for this 1954 John Huston film,perhaps the oddest film Humphrey Bogart ever made. On their way toAfrica, Bogey and Gina Lollobrigida get stranded in Italy while waitingfor steamboat repairs. A band of rogues are also on hand, and theseweird, seedy characters sit around in off-kilter close-ups and exchangewry dialogue. Eventually it's revealed that they all have secret plansinvolving Uranium deposits. It's nearly incomprehensible at times, andyet it has a captivating vibe that makes it compulsively watchable. Itwas a flop but has subsequently become a cult classic.

DVD Details: Beat the Devil has fallen into the public domain, and so it's available on several cheap DVDs.